Roosevelt sets off dynamite blast to start canal

Saturday

Jul 5, 2014 at 11:06 PM

There had to be a big celebration involv­ing politicians of every stripe — as well as the president and the public — to signal the start of digging the Florida Ship Canal across the southern portion of Marion County.

By David Cook

There had to be a big celebration involv­ing politicians of every stripe — as well as the president and the public — to signal the start of digging the Florida Ship Canal across the southern portion of Marion County.

When Present Roosevelt sent a signal by telegraph from his home in Hyde Park to a construction site on South Orange Avenue (now County Road 475) south of Ocala to set off a dyna­mite blast at the end of September 1935, actual work on the canal had been underway for most of the month.

A massive crowd gathered at the site to witness what was de­scribed by the news media of the day as “the first digging” on the canal. The overly enthusiastic Ocala Evening Star claimed the crowd numbered “in the thousands.”

Some of the crowd estimates went over 3,000 people, not including all of the state, local and national politicians on hand. The Ocala High School band, directed by Mrs. B.G. Cole, per­formed to much applause.

Speeches proceeded the blast signaled by Roosevelt. Sen. Duncan Fletcher was in the middle of his oration when the President's telegraphic signal finally got through to set off the dynamite, sending sand high into the air.

A celebration to rememberWell, I didn't see it since I believe I was at school at the time, but I heard all about this celebration described as one of the greatest days in Marion County history. And my dad drove me out to the site of the gathering several days later. I saw a lot of workmen with shovels digging in the sand near what is now Southwest 110th Street.

On the day of the celebration, stores in Ocala had closed at noon. The Star said school was dismissed so students could attend. I sure don't remember getting out of school.

For once, Ocala attracted national and interna­tional attention. Representatives of the pro-canal news media and the anti-canal group attended and kept the telegraph wires out of the area hum­ming all night long. Photos of the event were flown to Miami by a special plane.

A special dinner was staged at the Marion Hotel to honor Senator Fletcher in recognition of his efforts to win presidential approval of the canal. About 150 people were there for a lengthy speaking program led off by Dr. E.G. Peek, president of the Ocala-Marion County Chamber of Commerce.

Attention from the pressHorace Smith, secretary of the local chamber of commerce, a strong canal supporter, also received praise from the crowd for his tireless efforts in behalf of the proposed waterway. Most of Smith's praise was reserved for President Roosevelt.

All of the big shots in the canal authority and various waterway groups were there, some expressing confidence that the president would not abandon the canal project now that digging had officially started. Money to complete the canal was available, one confident speaker assured the crowd.

The Ocala Star was impressed by all of the press representatives who were in Ocala to report on the canal project. The movie newsreel companies were there to record the opening blast and would shortly begin showing it on the nation's movie screens. Radio broadcasters also were on the job.

An appropriate settingLouis Chazal of the Ocala Star, who later would co-author a history of Ocala (Ocali Country), thought it appropriate the opening blast was on property formerly owned by Capt. Samuel Pyles, a strong canal supporter who died two years earlier after a long, adventurous life.

The Pyles plantation was a well-known place on what was then called Orange Avenue, and his home (near the Shady fire station) was the scene of many merry parties and dances hosted by Pyles' daughter, Katherine.

Orange Avenue lost its name through a map error in the 1970s when a map showed the road as an extension of Magnolia Avenue through downtown Ocala. It was no such thing, but county and state road people, who knew nothing of the road's history, accepted it. So we have signs designating it as “Magnolia.”

Would Pyles support the canal?Among other things, Capt. Pyles had built and operated a steamship line on the Withlacoochee River. His boats hauled oranges and phosphate rock to markets for years.

The boats returned loaded with merchandise for stores and farms.

Pyles also had an interest in the steamboat terminal and depot at Silver Springs, which survived until the early 1920s. It is believed he was a backer of the failed plan to build a canal from the head of Silver Springs to Tuscawilla Park.

The full extent of his involvement in the steamship lines on the Ocklawaha and St. Johns rivers isn't known.

Chazal thought Sam Pyles would have been an enthusiastic supporter of the Florida Ship Canal. Katherine Pyles, administrator of the Sam Pyles estate, agreed the canal was in keeping with his way of thinking.

Meanwhile, Ocala merchants were awaiting the first payday for canal workers. It was anticipated the total payroll for that first month would run about $100,000, much of which would be spent with local businesses.

The Ocala electric department reported it was adding about 25 new customers each week. Nothing like that had ever happened before.

An avid Marion County historian, David Cook is a retired editor of the Star-Banner. He may be contacted at 237-2535.

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